Monsoon Eclectic Modern Indian — Restaurant in Chesapeake

Edit August 2023: I have to update my review because their buffet has gone totally downhill. We've been twice and have been really disappointed both times. Everything is super watery and flavorless. This place was amazing but I wish they'd bring their pre-covid level of buffet back. They literally have no competition in the Indian buffet game now, so they could do so much more.

Have been to Rasoi twice now so feel like I can review accurately. The 1st time they had just opened, literally 3 hours prior, so I feel like I can only judge them so much. With that being said, the service, atmosphere and food were pretty good for being such a new place. The prices are slightly lower than most places in the area, which is nice. I loved the samosa appetizer with the spicy chole - that's unique for the area as most places just serve samosa with mint chutney and/or tamarind. The service was a little spotty but we expected that as they were trying to learn the menu/people coming in. The menu is absolutely massive and that's a downpoint for me as I feel it's too much; there seems to be typos/misinformation/repeats throughout so hopefully they work that out. We ordered a veg biriyani and a chicken vindaloo; we weren't asked about the heat level on the biriyani and we like particularly spicy food. It was good, but I would have liked more spice. Base flavor was great. Vindaloo was, and I mean no offense by this, not a vindaloo at all. It was more akin to a tikka masala crossed with a jalfrezi, there was definitely cream in and the vinegar taste wasn't there. It was a good curry though! Just not what we expected. Naan is good, a little dry in parts but overall good. One of the owners came out and chatted to us for quite a while; it was nice to feel welcome and to see someone legitimately interested in whether people are enjoying themselves.

Small critique - the lighting is quite bright in the evening - maybe dim down a little for more of that 'intimate' feel?

2nd experience was the buffet and everything was good - there was a good variety of options, salads, sauces and 2 desserts. The food was fresh and being consistently refilled, and our plates were taken away promptly.

Overall we'll be back - I want to explore their menu further! In...

The lunch buffet is delicious and I do encourage anyone who can make it to go in for lunch.

I've eaten dinner in a handful of times, but we mostly order in from DoorDash and this has been where we have had issues. Normally, everything we order is delicious and we have no problem. The past two times have soured me on eating here. Then last time we ordered in, we got a chicken tikka masala and lamb biriyani. The chicken tikka masala was extremely greasy and had zero flavour overall. I understand it's a mild dish, usually, but it had never had so much grease. It actually made us sick and more than half of it went to waste, which made me very sad. (We've ordered the chicken tikka masala a dozen times before this and it was delicious, by the way. Maybe this was an off night.) The lamb biriyani was delicious, if more spiced than I was anticipating. I can recommend their biriyani dishes, though I will say to watch out for the spices used because biting into a whole one can be a little bitter... But the actual dish is delicious!

Tonight, I ordered aloo gobi, which I have had numerous times before in other places and really enjoy it done well. Tonight, it was very bland and almost a stew, which was not what I was expecting and much different than I've had other places. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great, and I don't think I'd order it again. The rice that came with also seemed to be wet. I don't know if that was just because it was delivered, but it didn't help the flavour. I got garlic naan to go with it. The garlic naan maybe could have done with using cooked garlic rather than raw, but that's my personal preference.

I do recommend eating here for lunch or ordering the biriyani. If you can eat in, you may have better results than if...

I will preface my 5 stars and overall review by saying that no restaurant is perfect so I do not rate for perfection but rather overall experience and food. With that said; I have never been to this restaurant during peak hours so the service has been always been quick and attentive. The servers have struck a good balance between following up and allowing the diner to peacefully enjoy the meal. The serving sizes are perfect for me but if you are looking for a heavily laden protein dish you will be disappointed. The flavor of everything I have ordered has been perfection. The heat is very well balanced based on the level you request and my favorite, which is curry, has a perfect consistency IMO. My wife and I have done eat in and carry out and have yet to see any difference in the meal between the two. The restaurant itself is exceptionally clean with no hint of prior patrons being at the table (big pet peeve of mine). Price is a bit on the high side but not extremely so and is to be expected with the current economic situation in this country. My favorite dish is the Korma and while I have tried other main courses, I can not leave the establishment without ordering it. The vegetarian versions of every entre I have tried has been just as delicious as it's meat counterpart. Is the restaurant perfect, no, but then again, no restaurant is. Is the restaurant 5 stars, a resounding yes. If you are one that enjoys full flavored unapologetically Indian cuisine then there is no reason to go anywhere else. Thank you to the kitchen and front of house staff for the service and great food, we look forward to...